Games and Gaming # 38

Most of my experience on a gaming console was with the classic NES when I was a teenager. As far as the latest model consoles go, they tend to be quite expensive. On the other hand that would be a good reson to have them in a library. The games tend to be around $30.00 when new. However some stores specializing in gaming supplies will buy, sell, and trade used games and systems. I have a sister who is an avid gamer. She bought a Nintedo Wii. She did so thinking she would have access to some of her favorite classic NES games. She found out that a subscription to certain websites would be nessecary. It had dissapointed her at the time. I think it really depends on what system is popular in the area and what sort of games are wanted. Many games require good reading skills, strong hand-eye coordination, and the ability to make quick decisions. I also think that there will be some people who'll end up checking out books as long as they're already at the library and some who won't. It just depends on the person.

Games and Gaming # 37

Video games are everywhere! In gaming consoles in peoples homes, on hand held gaming devices, on PCs, on line, and even on cell phones. After triying one of the Carnegie Mellon games, I think it could help patrons understand libraries better. Books, movies, CDs, and internet access are already being provided. So it really isn't too surprising that gaming would work its way into libraries. I think that gaming in the library would be hard to avoid just from the fact that so many games can be found on the internet. I think it shows how much of an impact technology has on modern society. I also think that gaming and the behavior of gamers will continue to be debated for as long as there are video games.

Games and Gaming # 36

Designing a character for Runescape was easy and fun. My character is a female with lite blue hair, a green tank top, a pair of wrist bands, and a skirt that has a blue pattern on a grey background. The tutorial for playing Runscape isn't hard to use. It can be challenging to find quest items. I couldn't find a way to get a screenshot of my character. I think you have a subscription to do that. I believe the art and music in each area for the game are very complimentary to the theme.

Games and Gaming #35

In this exercise, I tried WordSplay but didn't like the format that was used. I liked the Free Rice game better. I found that the Free Rice game was easy to learn and fun to play. Some of the vocabulary words were familiar and quite a few weren't. It was also fascinating that the points earned for giving the correct answer also earned "Free Rice" for people in need. I think it's a good combination of helping people, vocabulary expansion, and having fun.

Maps #34 Geocoding and Geocaching

The name of the location for the Geocach I choose is El Camino St. The coordinates for the Geocach are N 29° 41.195 W 095° 23.018. The url is http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=c04d689f-3e24-4669-b35d-bea4cea28a61 and I think it's at a FedEX building. I don't have a GPS though, so I probably won't go looking for it. I think that it's a cool concept anyway.

Maps #33 Relocating

For me this module is mostly going over what I did in February. During that month I had to look for an apartment that would be closer to the HCPL ADM bulding, and I needed it before the 25th. I had used the same sites that are in this exercise at that time. I had been living by the 45 and 1960. Now I'm living by the 610 and Main near Relyant Park. I was an Evens temp at BB and now I'm a processing assistant at ADM. The things I looked for in an appartment were: washer/dryer connections, reasonable rent, close to work, and be avalable before my first day at my new job. I was able to get all of these. I moved in on the 23rd of the month with help from relatives and friends. I think that the Apartment Finder was the easyest for finding the location of an apartment, but the other sites also had better navigation menues. Ultimatly, once I found the complex that met all my criteria, I still ended up using Map Quest to get my directions. I do like my new apartment. I even have about the same amount of travel time to and from work that I had when I was living at my old place.

Maps #32 Current Events

For the first activity, I thought the third suggestion on the list of "100 Things To Do With Google Maps" would be a good topic. My hypothetical question would be "Where can I find WiFi hot spots or connections in Houston?" A good answer for that would be: Go to hotspotr at http://hotspotr.com/wifi/map/30-houston-tx you can also customise your search criteria at the site by clicking on certain buttons while your there.

For the second activity, I decided to go with National Atlas. I liked the volcanic maps and the link http://nationalatlas.gov/dynamic/dyn_vol-hi.html is for a volcanic map of Hawaii. I learned that most of the maps at the National Atlas site are inter active to some degree. It was an interesting site.